Photography: The World's Most Misunderstood Hobby

By Cole ??????

I know, as a photographer, that there are countless of misconceptionsnon-photographers (and in some cases, even photographers) don’t seem toquite grasp. From the hundreds I could list, I have narrowed the list to5 of the most exasperating misconceptions about photography.

#1 - Photography Is Easy

Nothing frustrates me more than when people claim photography is easy.Sure, it’s easy to take a picture; however, being a photographer is morethan just taking a picture. It’s an art. It requires experience andskill to take a high quality, visually appealing picture. As aphotographer, you must understand how lighting works, when to actuallytake the picture, and MANY more variables to take good photographs. It’snot as easy as what most people think: taking a ‘selfie’ and chucking aquick filter over it on Instagram.

#2 - "Your camera takes great pictures!"

No, it does not. I take the great picture – my camera is merely a toolthat allows me to execute my skills to my highest ability. This isanother thing that irritates me. Sure, most of the time, they mean it ina positive way, but I can’t help but take it as more of an insult thananything. It’s essentially dismissing the years of experience, theamount of practice, and my overall skills in photography and claimingthat my camera is the mastermind behind my photographs. So please, ifyou’re one of those people who think the camera itself is the reason forprofessional photographs, refrain yourself from speaking.

Can I also just add, that the higher the price of a camera does not meanyour photographs will be better? You can give an amateur a reallyexpensive, high standard camera, and it does not mean their photographswill out-perform a professional photographer with a low-budget camera.That said: if you know how to use an expensive, high quality camera andall of its features exquisitely, then maybe this point is not applicableto you.

#3 - Nikon Is Better Than Canon

Saying Nikon is better than Canon is like saying apples are better thanoranges. It’s a complete misleading way of thinking in terms ofphotography, and similarly to the previous point: you should refrainyourself from speaking. Basically, Nikon and Canon are (can be) bothexcellent camera brands. However, one might be more suitable for oneperson, and the other might be more suitable for the other person. Thecamera choice is all relative to the camera owner. It depends on whatexactly you want to do with the camera, and what you want to achieve.Maybe the person making certain claims simply had a negative experiencewith one of the brands – which is not to say you will have the sameexperience at all.

Instead of taking someone’s word in regards to which camera is better,you should instead do something cool, and that’s called research. Thestrange thing about research is you can develop your own perspective ofwhich camera is better, and maybe come up with your own conclusions.Research includes looking up reviews of the camera you find appealing,and compare the camera with other cameras you might also have aninterest in. You should also take into consideration of the price, andsee if the price of the camera justifies its features.

#4 - Age Is A Barrier To Success

This is simply far from the truth. Just like music: there is no ‘expiry’date to being a successful photographer. In fact: how old do you think Iam? I could be 90 years old, or I could be 16 years old. I’ll tell youright now, that I’m neither of those ages, however, I am somewhere inbetween.

Basically, this point is to disprove the misconception that age is abarrier to success. I know people of all ages, sexes, races, etc. whoare extremely passionate about photography. All those things are simplyunimportant to their success as a photographer.

#5 - Black And White Images Are Better

Finally, we have come to my favorite point of all: black and whitephotos. Now, don’t get me wrong, black and white photos can work reallywell, but it does not instantly make them professional. It depends onthe photo itself, and how the black and white has been executed.However, nothing irritates me more than when people throw on a black andwhite filter, and call it photography. There is far more to photographythan people understand. If you’re one of these people – who think ablack and white photograph is simply superior, and every otherphotograph is inferior, I want you to do something for me. Google:“black and white photography”, click “images” and then compare thefirst result to your black and white image(s). This should, probably, prove mypoint that black and white does not necessarily make an image betterthan colored.

Conclusion

There you have it – some of the most “you-are-blatantly-misled”misconceptions that a photographer will hear throughout theircareer/hobby as a photographer. Let’s hope this article can make animpact towards these almost insulting misconceptions.

About The Author

Cole is a writer/photographer who owns his own laboratory... I mean...website athttp://considerphotography.com/ which is chock-a-block fullof information about photography, particularly to those who are‘amateurs’. To find out more about him (if you actually care) andphotography in general, click that link.